Switch for high-potential circuits.



No. 874,601. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

' J. N. KELMAN.

SWITCH FOR HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

jA/mwf'ofz j Joseph NZJu/Lffiman No. 874,601. PATENTED DEC. 24-, 1907. J. N. KBLMAN.

SWITCH FOR HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8.1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Hill

lllzl No. 874,601. PATENTED DEC. 24. 1907 v J. N. KELMAN.

SWITCH FOR HIGH POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION IILEDAPRJZ, 1907.

3 $HEETS-SHIET 3 5; fly a;

' JMCLZ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH NELSON KELMAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SWITCH FOR HIGH-POTENTIAL CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed April 8, 1907. Serial No. 367.124-

" for interrupting high potential circuits, and

to act as circuit breakers, has for its object to provide an apparatus which is not only safe and effective in operation, and consequently can be depended upon at all times to open the circuit under any condition of overload or short circuit, is of that type of switches wherein the circuit is opened or closed under oil. I have tested my said switches and circuit breakers .on electric systems ranging in voltages from 15,000 to 60,000 under all conditions of overload and short circuit. The switches are made u with any number of poles desired, with eac pole in a separate tank and with a double horizontal contact breaker to each pole.

The device constituting my invention is contained within an iron tank, the top or cover of wihch is of marble and preferably made in two pieces, so that either or both of these pieces of marble can be readily taken off to admit of inspection of the switch'in the interior of thetank, for the reason that the pieces of marble constitute a cover for the tank, none of the working parts being fixed to or supported by them in any respect.

The fixed contacts of the switches are mounted on porcelain insulators of special design as hereinafter described, giving very high insulation and considerable mechanical strength. These insulators are mounted u on a Wooden support laced deep down in t e oil in the tanks. T e movable contacts of the switch are attached to a rod of specially treated wood, while between this rod and the operatin mechanism is a porcelain insulator of special desi n and construction 'ving very high insulation at this part of my evice.

The movement of the operating mechanism is in a vertical direction, but the break of the fixed and movable contacts is in a nearly, if not quite, a horizontal direction, taking place deep down below the top of the oil contained in the tanks, so that there is a considerable volume of oil above the fixed and movable contacts, thereby rendering, on account of the high resistance of the oil, the break, and making the opening of the circuit, a certainty. The portions of the conductors connected to the fixed contacts of the switch are brought out through heavy orcelain insulators that stand well above t e surface of the cover, thus affording ample insulation.

movable contacts or poles of-a three pole switch for hand operation, and constructed according to my invention, are contained. Fig. 2, is a plan corresponding to Fig. 1. Fi 3, is an end elevationof the oil tanks wit portions of the apparatus constituting'my invention shown in dotted lines, and partly in full lines. Fig. 4, is a transverse section of one of the tanks on a larger scale than Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and showing the interior of the tank, and the switch mechanism. Fig. 5, is a vertical section on the central line a, a, at Fi on the line b, b, Fig. 4', and Fig. 7 ,is a horizontal section on the line 0, c, Fig. 6, showing in plan the switch clips and switch blade en tering the same.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the tanks containing the oil and the mechanism for making and breakin marked A. Fachof the tanks A, rests upon the beams B, Fig. 3, of wood, iron, channel beams or other material. In each of the two spaces between the central and end tanks A, A, as shown at Figs. 1, and 2, and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, there aresituated two A-shaped framin s C, of cast iron, in

the-lower part of whic the shaft D, is car-' ried rotatively in bearin s, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, an 3, and in plan in Fig. 2. These A-shap'ed framings C, are firmly bolted to the beams B, upon which the tanks A, rest. U on one end of the shaft D, an o crating ever or handle E, is attached, an at the opposite end of the shaft .D, the cooperating weight F, is also attached by a lever as shown at Figs 1, and 2. Two other levers G, G, are fastened upon the shaft D, and are each connected pivotally by a link H, shown in dotted lines at Fig. 3,to the lower end of each lifting rod I, to the upper art of which the channel iron J, is secure y fastened, and connects a high potential circuit arere 4. Fig. 6, is a vertical section through insulators T.

the vertical rods I, I, together. The channel iron J, is also connected at its ends, and at its center. by strong porcelain insulators K, toa thick rod L, of s eciall treated wood, and the lower end of t e thic wooden rod L, is connected to the two movable blades or switch arms M, which make and break contact with the fixed poles N, N, of the switch. The arms M, M, are pivotally connected by the bolts 0, O, to the attachment P, fastened by bolts or rivets P, to the lower part of the wooden rod L, and the switch blades M, M, are again connected by the pivotally jointed links Q, Q, to the upper central art of the insulator K, fastened to the woo en rail S, stretching across the bottom of each of the tanks A, more especiall as shown at Fig. 4, and at Figs. 5, and 6; o the fixed contacts or poles N, the portions of the circuit T, which enter the switch are connected, and these portions T, pass out through the cover of each tank Each of the two blades or switch arms are respectively are circular in more especially shown at united at their up er gal-ts by means of a piece of flexible ca le the ends of which are metallically and rigidly connected to the two blades-or switch arms by the bolts U, as shown at Figs; 4, and 5.

The construction of the insulators T, through which the conductors T, pass, is illustrated in section at 6, consisting as i 6, of the inner and up er porcelain part through which one of t e conductors T, pass. This portion V, is flanged at the top so that it may rest securely u on the lower part V of the insulator whic again is formed with a flange so as to rest u on thetop of theslate or marble cover W, of the tanks A.

The insulators K, are of s ecial construction as shown more especial y in section at Figs. 5, and 6, and are connected to the wooden beams S, within the tanks A, by the clips next to be described; As shown Fig. 2, more especially, the insulators Ian, and their up er and lower parts, as sl iown by Figs. 5, an 6, more especially, are taperedinwards, that is to say, the portion of largest diameter of the upper and lower part of each insulator K,

constitutes the uppermost and lowermost face of the insulator. The clips by which the insulators K, are held to. the several parts of my switch and circuit breaker appartaus, are made in two halves of cast iron marked X, and Y, respectively, as particularl shown at Fig. 4, and u n these parts of t e clips X, and Y, lu X and Y are formed, and. as shown atl 5, and 6, each half of the cli s X, and has a' flat face parallel with the inner facesof the prog'aitt e projecting lugs is inclined but in the o posite direction of inclination ofv the inc ned upward movement of the wooden rods L interior of the cli 's, so that when the bolts Z, are put throug the holes in the lu the tightening of the nuts thereon pulls t e two halves of each clip together and causes the inclined surfaces of the interior of each cli and the exterior of'each insulator to hold firmly together, and so that the ressure of the clip upon the insulator ma e as near as possible equally transmitte allaround the brittle material (porcelain) of which the insulators K, are made. A lining of soft material such as is shown atd, in Figs; F, and 6, is inserted, and the tightening of the bolts Z, takes place around the soft materiald, which may be lead or an insulating material. The clips X, by which the several insulators K, are fastened to the wooden beam S, or to the channel iron J, are secured thereto by means of tap bolts Z, as shown at Figs. 5, and 6. The u per part A, of each tank A, is preferably fdrmed of slate, marble, or other suitable insulating material, and it is constructed in two halves as illustrated by the lines e, e, in Fig. 2, so that either portion of the cover of the tank may from time to time be removed for the p ose of examining the interior of the tank and the state or switch blade M, the links Q, the wooden rod L, and the poles or contacts N, are all in the relationship shown in the enlarged view Fig. 4, and when it is desired or necessary to open or'break the circuit, then the, switchman or attendant pulls or presses downwards the lever handle E, fixed to the shaft D, in which act he is assisted by the weight F, also carried by a lever on the shaft D. The effect of this pull or ush downwards of the switchman upon the ever E, is to raise upwards t e rods 1, the channel iron J, the upper insulators K, and their connections, together with the wooden rods L, through the ferrules and thence by 111 vertically u wards upon the sw1tcfi bla es M, M, by t e pivotal connections 0, O, to gradually draw the terminals of the switch blades M, M, out

of the contact pieces or poles N, N, until the 7 of the poles or fixed contacts N, N, may take lace in a direction of movement; as nearl orizontal as ossible, the switch blades ll, M, are pivota ly connected as aforesaid by the two links Q, 3, to the upper end of the central lower ins ator K, so that while the during the act of completel opening the switch or circuit breaker takes place, the

links Q, in being drawn closer together at the same time draw the switch blades M, M, closer together as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, thus maintaining the ends or contact pieces of the blades M, M, as low down as possible in the oil in the tanks A, during the time the switch is being completely opened, and after it is completely opened.

As it is the fact that in high potential elec' at Fig. 5, theobject of thus forming the insulator being to provide as large a surface as possible for moisture to condense upon, and

' for the Wind or atmospheric heat to dry up as much as possible, thereby leaving as little moisture as possible upon the insulator for electrical leakage to take place.

I claim in my invention. 1. The switch and circuit breaker for high potential circuits, consisting of two or more pairs of horizontally. 'rojecting poles or contact pieces with whic opposit'ly operating switch blades make and break contact, the upper ends of each. pair of said blades being connected to a rod of wood or equivalent insulating material, said switch blades being pivotally connected near their center of length by links to pivotal connections on an insulator, attached to a beam of wood at the bottom of the tank, the fixed poles or contact pieces being also attached to insulators fastened to a wooden beam within the tank, the conductors from the fixed poles or contact pieces extending through insulators carried in the top cover of the tank, consisting of non-conducting material, the ferrules of insulating material at the centerfof' the cover of the tanks, the wooden rods operating in said ferrules, the clips connecting an insulator with the top of the wooden rod, the clips connecting the insulator to the channel iron, the connecting pieces and pivots by which the lower end of the wooden rods are connected to the upper parts of the switch blades, a flexible connection between the upper ends of the switch blades, the framesand guides between the center tank and each of the side tanks, the vertical rods operatingv in said frames and guides, the shaft, the lever and links and the counter weight for opening and closing the switch or circuit breaker, a l operating in the manner and for the purposes substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. The combination of the channel iron,

the clips connecting the channel iron to the.

upper parts of the insulators, clips connectingthe lower part of the upper insulators with the upper end of each wooden rod, the wooden rods, the connecting piece at the lower end of each wooden rod, to which the switch blades are pivoted, the flexible metallic connection between the upper pivoted ends of the switch blades, the switch blades, the links pivotally connecting the switch blades to the stationary insulator, so that the ends of the switch blades operate horizontally, or nearly so, in opening and closing the circuit to the fixed poles or contact pieces, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony'whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at the city of Los An eles aforesaid, in the presence of two subscri ing witnesses.

JOSEPH NELSON KELMAN. [1. 3.]

Witnesses: ST. JOHN DAY. J. D. CORY. 

